The dynamic characteristics of an ell-lubricated, short squeeze film damper (SFD) with a central feeding groove are derived based on a theoretical analysis considering the effect of a groove, and identified experimentally using an Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) system as an exciter. In order to get the theoretical solution, the fluid film forces of the grooved SFD are analytically derived so that the dynamic coefficients of the SFD can be expressed in terms of its design parameters. For the experimental validation of the analysis, a test rig using an AMB as an exciter is proposed. As an exciter. the AMB represents a mechatronic device to levitate and position the test Journal without any mechanical contact, to generate relative motions of the Journal inside the tested SFD and to measure the generated displacements during experiments with fairly high accuracy. Using this test rig, experiments are extensively conducted with various values of clearance, which Is one of the most important design parameters. in order to investigate its effect on the dynamic characteristics and the performance of the SFD. Damping and Inertia coefficients of the SFD that are experimentally Identified are compared with the analytical results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the applied analysis. It Is also shown that the AMB is an ideal device for tests of SFDs.